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There is an assortment of bilingual and international schools in Madrid for expat children to attend. In fact, international educational standards are so commonplace that many schools with British and American curricula have a student body predominately made up of Spanish pupils. There are many schools that teach the British national curriculum, and while the most common language of tuition is English, Spanish is often the dominant language in the playground and lunch table. In some international schools, as many as 80 percent of the pupils are Spanish. International schools are encouraged to take local students as there is a state subsidy for those schools where more than a fifth of the children are Spanish, and which offer bilingual education. The teachers at these schools also tend to be international, and many are native English speakers.
This gives expat children an opportunity to overcome some of the culture shock in Spain and fully integrate into their new home. While international schools may be pricier than public and private schools, they offer excellent facilities and a wide array of activities, including art, music, sports and STEM labs.
There are some international schools in the centre of Madrid, but the majority are situated in the suburbs and in the countryside surrounding the city, where they have more space for sports fields and other facilities for a variety of extracurricular activities.
Listed below are some of Madrid's best international schools.
International schools in Madrid
American School of Madrid
The American School of Madrid (ASD) has been providing an American education and encouraging fluency in Spanish for more than 60 years. The school is home to a diverse student body of more than 1,000 students of over 60 nationalities. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: American and International Baccalaureate
Ages: 3 to 18
Hastings School
Hastings School is a proudly British school located in the heart of Madrid. Offering an adapted version of the Cambridge IGCSE, the school encourages bilingualism in English and Spanish speakers. The school's large student body is spread out over six age-specific campuses in central Madrid, all of which are connected by a shuttle service. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: Cambridge IGCSE and A-levels and International Baccalaureate
Ages: 2 to 18
International College Spain Madrid
One of the leading international schools in Europe, International College Spain has been established for more than 30 years and is the only school in Madrid offering the three prestigious International Baccalaureate programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) in English. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate
Ages: 3 to 18
International School of Madrid
The International School of Madrid has been providing quality British education to a diverse student population for more than 50 years. More than 30 nationalities are represented throughout the school's student body of more than 800 pupils. The school is conveniently located in central Madrid. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and A-levels
Ages: 2 to 18
King's College, The British School of Madrid
King's College, The British School of Madrid teaches the English National Curriculum, including the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels, as well as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The school is situated just 20 minutes from Central Madrid. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and A-levels
Ages: 2.5 to 18
St George International
St. George International follows the British curriculum from Infant School through to Upper Secondary, during which stage students take the Cambridge IGCSE. Sixth Form students work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The school's diverse student body is made up of more than 45 nationalities. All teachers are native English speakers, apart from those who teach foreign-language subjects. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Spanish and International Baccalaureate
Ages: 2 to 18
Thames British School
Thames British School is a private school that offers British education to students of all nationalities, following the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for students from three to five years old and the Cambridge International Curriculum throughout primary and secondary years. There's also a pre-nursery programme for ages one to three. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: English National Curriculum, Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge IGCSE and A-levels
Ages: 1 to 18